The social welfare of single mothers in Japan has become increasingly important after World War II due to the large number of single mothers whose husbands died in the war, combined with the lifestyle and culture of Japanese society that assigns the primary role to women in raising new family members. This can be seen from the fact that most Japanese women, after getting married and having children, often leave their regular jobs to become full-time housewives.
With the changing social conditions of the country, the number of single mothers in Japan has increased. However, what remains unchanged is that the responsibility of child-rearing is still primarily assigned to women. It is found that approximately 80% of single mothers in Japan are due to divorce, 12% are widows, and 6% have children from out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
The social welfare policy for single mothers to be discussed below was revised in 2003, aiming for a better quality of life for mothers and children, enabling single mothers to work to support their families and children with quality. The state provides welfare in four main areas.
- Dependent children’s allowance is provided at 41,880 yen per month to supplement the income from the single mother’s work. This accounts for about 11.4% of the average income of single mothers. Those eligible to receive it are 1) those with no income, or 2) those with an income of less than 3.65 million yen per year and not eligible for family pensions. It is found that 80% of single mothers receive the dependent children’s allowance, and among them, 83% are working, with only 17% still unemployed.
- Housing service offers various services for single mothers that can be chosen according to their living conditions, such as long-term rental housing at low rent, rental assistance for apartments, and affordable mother-and-child housing with counseling and assistance services as needed. Additionally, there are discounts on water, electricity, public transportation, and medical expenses for both mother and child.
- Employment service provides job information centers and employment agencies. Employers who hire single mothers for regular jobs receive salary support for the first six months from the state. Furthermore, the state supports single mothers in gaining knowledge or furthering their education by providing training grants or discounts for vocational school education. In cases where single mothers are unemployed, divorced, or widowed within the first three years, they can attend training or study for free.
- Day care service supports child care services throughout Japan, available to both single-mother families and general families, with special welfare for single mothers who receive service discounts or free services. This service is very popular, with up to 63% of single mothers using it. If there is insufficient child care in the area, single mothers receive priority over general families. In some areas, there is also night care service for cases where single mothers are ill, attending funerals, or in other emergencies.
Source: Network Support Book for Women’s Unplanned Pregnancy Choices
Worker’s Handbook: Working Together to Care, 7th Edition, 2018